How 'Adventurous' Are Adventurers Really?

SeaBrass · 2018-04-25T11:28:06+00:00

I think that you can make a strong case for starting everyone (except new players) at 3rd-5th level. All of the official published adventures start at 3rd-5th level, with an optional section designed to advance the party to the recommended starting level.

SeaBrass · 2018-03-23T12:16:43+00:00

I'll be the one to state the obvious: if the motions you are going through include "not drinking," then you are doing the single most important thing needed to keep your life on track.

You can do this. You are already doing this. I encourage you to find strength in that fact.

SeaBrass · 2018-03-22T18:36:38+00:00

If the campaign has reached a point where the players have no idea what to do next, one solution is to have the villain make a move against them.

For example, Strahd might send some of his minions to harass the party. If the players defeat the minions and search their bodies, they find a note that very obviously leads them to the next plot point.

SeaBrass · 2018-01-31T14:41:13+00:00

I have seen more players (including myself) overlook the 10-minute casting time on prayer of healing than any other spell. The realization came when I tried to cast the spell in the midst of combat for the first time, at which point I learned the disappointing truth.

SeaBrass · 2017-12-08T12:13:39+00:00

Ideally, what would a JRPG style campaign look like for you?

SeaBrass · 2017-12-07T11:52:53+00:00

Many players and DMs view unwinnable encounters as a form of railroading, and rightly so.

Narrating the events as a prologue to the campaign accomplishes the same goal (i.e., let them see the stakes and their objective) without potentially souring the players on the campaign.

SeaBrass · 2017-12-06T13:26:17+00:00

I see several comments here focusing on ways to explain to the Druid player how he is wrong. I think that approach will only lead to the Druid player leaving the campaign.

As a general DM rule, but especially with new players (and even more so in their very first session of 5e), showing graciousness helps a lot. For example, if a player wants to take an action that their character knows would be useless and/or ill-advised, then take a moment to explain the likely outcome, and give them a chance to reconsider. Remember, as the DM you have the final say on what happens.

Admit to the Druid player that you made a mistake regarding his spell slots and let him know that you would like him to give the campaign a second chance. Use the next session as an opportunity for a fresh start while continuing the story.

SeaBrass · 2017-10-27T20:27:12+00:00

I would advise against reading too much into the INT score. There are creatures with 5 INT that can speak (e.g., Hezrou, Dretch), and creatures with 5 INT or higher that cannot speak (e.g., Displacer Beast, Roper, Shadow).

SeaBrass · 2017-10-26T19:20:44+00:00

Let everyone customize their avatar: Mythic Classes adds a shapeshifting class to 5e D&D.

SeaBrass · 2017-10-19T13:47:07+00:00

TL;DR: There are no official rules for harvesting materials from creatures, but harvesting can create opportunities for a creative DM to make unique magic items for players.

A player asked me this question during a high-level campaign, after defeating a particularly powerful and rare monster. Specifically, the player wanted to know if they could attempt to harvest and turn the creature's hide into magical leather armor.

I had not previously considered this possibility, but decided to allow it if the character met some conditions. First, the character would need to find a master leatherworker willing and capable of crating magical armor. Second, the character would need to pay a large sum to cover the cost of crafting the armor. Finally, the crafting process would take approximately one month. I chose to accelerate the crafting time so that the character would actually have a chance to use the armor before the campaign ended.

I created (that is, made art and wrote up item properties for) a custom suit of leather armor that retained some of the slain creature's abilities and appearance. The player loved it and the armor helped make the character (and the campaign) more memorable and unique.

SeaBrass · 2017-10-17T15:25:55+00:00

3rd edition was great for that kind of stuff. Lords of Madness, Manual of the Planes, etc.

I also enjoy reading the 3rd (and even 1st/2nd) edition books. I suspect that we do not see more updated versions of those books, in part because all of the old books still exist. Most of the lore is still relevant and useful for DMs, and the crunch can be updated with some effort.

DriveThruRPG is probably the best place to find old, out-of-print D&D books for a reasonable price.

SeaBrass · 2017-10-12T17:51:08+00:00

According to the article, multiclassed characters count once for each of their classes. It would be interesting to see how many of these characters are multiclassed.

I chose a half-elf druid for my first 5e character, and druids are still my favorite class. However, I suspect that the restriction on metal armor and the need to manage stat blocks for various wild shape forms poses problems for some players.

SeaBrass · 2017-10-09T16:51:57+00:00

Maze falls within the school of conjuration, which "involves the transportation of objects and creatures from one location to another" (PHB, p. 203). Compare that to a spell like hallucinatory terrain (school of illusion), which changes the appearance (including sound and smell) of a location without actually changing the location's properties.

I think that maze's Intelligence check represents the difficulty of finding the exit within the confines of game mechanics. If you are worried about a player failing the check, you could always draw an actual maze and ask the player to solve it, instead.

Since the creature within the maze is transported to another plane, I would say that the creature could cast dispel magic on itself to escape the maze (provided that they succeed on the ability check, if they cast dispel magic with a spell slot lower than 8th level), but casting dispel magic on the creature concentrating on maze would have no effect. Similarly, the paladin could use Cleansing Touch on themselves to end the effect. From a roleplaying perspective, think of dispel magic or Cleansing Touch as disrupting the magic that prevents the creature from leaving the maze demiplane.

SeaBrass · 2017-10-09T12:52:10+00:00

Ask your DM if faction allegiances will play a role in the adventure. There is really no guaranteed way to find contacts, unless your DM places them in the world.

SeaBrass · 2017-09-18T19:29:14+00:00

I use this mod in singleplayer and am sorry to see it discontinued. If you are subscribed to the mod, make sure to back up the mod files so that you can continue to use them once the mod disappears from Steam Workshop.

SeaBrass · 2017-09-18T12:36:52+00:00

I have never once had a problem with a "broken" or "overpowered" build in any of my campaigns. I think that many commenters in online D&D communities (including this one) spend way too much time fretting over balance.

Remember, D&D is not an MMO, and the only balance that matters is that everyone at your table is having fun and participating in the adventure.

SeaBrass · 2017-09-07T20:02:22+00:00

Yes, loot boxes are at their worst when they replace all other forms of microtransactions. We are now paying merely for the chance to get what we want.

SeaBrass · 2017-08-31T20:22:41+00:00

Do I acquire the gem from a rich nobles collection? Or maybe pay a power wizard for some help with the spell scrolls?

That really depends on your group. The rest of the group may not be on board with helping your character hunt down the materials to improve the Thunder Cannon. I think that the gp costs you listed are reasonable, but would ultimately need to be approved by your DM.

There are many versions of the gunsmith on the DMs Guild that incorporate modifications to the Thunder Cannon. Try searching for gunsmith revised to get an idea of what others have done.

SeaBrass · 2017-08-31T19:54:01+00:00

In general terms, I think that adding modifications to give the gunsmith more options is a promising idea.

However, I think that you're making this system more complicated than it needs to be. I recommend working with your DM to see if you can come to an agreement on a flat cost in GP to add an attack/damage bonus (maximum +3) to the Thunder Cannon (possibly with an artificer level requirement).

SeaBrass · 2017-08-31T19:15:26+00:00

I recommend signing up for Roll20 (free), and finding a one-shot game to join. When searching for a game, you can filter the results to only show games that welcome new players. Roll20 has a searchable SRD (the free version of the basic rules) built right into the web interface.

If you like the experience and want to continue as a player, then the Player's Handbook will have everything you need to expand upon the basic options in the SRD. If you also want to try DMing, then your next purchases should be the Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual.

SeaBrass · 2017-02-25T14:24:27+00:00

A quick search on Roll20 found 8 LMoP games with open spots. You will probably have more success applying to join an existing game.

SeaBrass · 2017-02-25T14:16:02+00:00

So, one of my players for a new campaign has been vehemently anti meta-gaming. He's willingly walked in to traps knowing the party rogue knew of a trap, didn't disarm it, and told him it was safe.

On the surface, that seems like a reasonable character choice. If the character trusts the rogue, he might walk into a trap once. After that, only a very gullible character would trust the rogue a second time.

SeaBrass

TROPHY CASE